Vehicle dumping mechanism



Aug'. 26, 1930.

L J. McMlLLlN VEHICLE DUMPING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 1,8, 1927 2 sheets-Sheet l ug- 26, 1930- L; J. MCMILLIN VEHICLE DUMPING MECHNISM Filed Aug. 18, 192.7

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Qwwmto/c LOUIS J. MQMILLIN UNITED 'STATES' `A Y -v Patented Aug. 26, 1930y Louis MCMILIQN, or 'INDiANAPoLIs Irmrnival VEHICLE nui/[PING M'EcHANIsM t aiapucatiomeaaugust18,1927! s,eria1No.,-a13,954. f

This inventionrelates to hoisting devices or winches of that class primarily employed for elevatingone end of a truck or other. ve-

hicle, for causing the contents of the vehicle to discharge therefrom-by gravity, andone feature of the invention is the Vprovision ofV means 'for engagement with the forward wheels of a vehicle, whereby when" lifting action is applied, the forward end of the -vehicle will be elevated to the desired degree.

A furthery feature of the invention is the provision of a carriage and truck structure, whereby the wheel engaging means may be shifted to accommodate the same to vehicles of different lengths and positions.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for retaining the wheel engaging means in proper alignment. v

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the accompanying specification. f

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe invention showing a vehicle by dotted lines in tilted position; Fig.

2 is an end elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, 1 indicates the floor of a building, such as a grain elevator, in which is formed a plurality. of trap doors 2, which may be raised when grain or other commodity is to be depositedin a bink or yother receptacle.

By providing the trap door 2, a vehicle such as a truck 3 may be driven onto thel iioor 1 and the contents of the vehicle discharged by y gravity thru the door opening 4,and inorder to cause all the contents of the vehicle to flow therefrom by gravity, it is necessary to ele which terminate in hook terminalsy 7which terminalsy engage the tires 'of 'the vehicle onk opposite sides of the vvertical centers jof the wheels 8 and in this instance, the' forwardy wheels. Pivoted to the grapples5,adjacent vtheir upper ends are brace members 9, which,

whenl in lowered position rest againstthe face of the tire, or, yspokes of vehicle, depending Y upon the size ,of the wheel, 'at a pointe substantially vertically above the hub ofthe wheel, thus retaining the grapples in proper alignment and the wheelsagainst rotation.`

VPivotally attached to the top end of each grapple -is a block 10, inwhichfismountel a sheave 11 and'passing around such sheave is a cable 12, one endkof each cable passing over a sheave 13 and thencel outwardly to the` c outer end of a trackway 14, whilethe oppo-` site end ofthe cable Vpasses over a sheave 15 and to a winding shaft 16 at the inner-end of the trackway, the sheaves 13-and 15 having guides 17 to prevent the cable one sheave to the other. L l

The sheaves 13 and 15 are mountedin carriages 23, which carriages-have4 sets ofy rollers 24for engagement with the.trackways .14g

passing from By suspending the cables and'grapplesinthis manner they may be moved lengthwiseof the trackways to positionthe grapples `for en-L gagement with thewheelsfof vehicles of different lengths and thus insuringfthat the lift on the vehicle will be substantially,ver-tical,r

A, kThe grapples 5 are limited-intheir down# ward movement by means ofa chain or the like, 32, in the length of'which is interposed a spring 33, said spring yielding sufficientlyto permit the hook terminals 7 ton pass beneath the tire, when downwardpressureis appliedonv the grapples, but will instantly retract and drawthe hooks against: the tires when `.the downward pressure. is .released therefrom. p l g c f l `The windingr shaft 16 is rotated to, wind the cables 12 thereon by attaching a sprocket wheel 34 to said shaft, aroundwhichextends a sprocket chain 35,V said chain extending downwardlyv and around .aV sprocket y36 asso-v ciated with. a driving gear 38. The 'driving may be' desired.

The floor l may have other doors 77, similar to the door 2 and the truck 3 may be moved so as to dump into same, by correspondingly shifting the carriages 23 along on the tracksy 14. The dotted lines 78 indicate another position of said carriage along said tracks.

Referring to Fig.l 2 the grapples 5 are more readily applied to the truck wheels 8 by firstl swinging the brace members 9 up overV said wheels as indicated by dotted lines 8l, allows ing said grapples andthe cables l2 to take a correspondingly slackened position. v.After the grapple hooks 7 have been engaged under said wheels the member9 is then swung down into place as shown by solid lines.

v As before(v stated the pulley blocks lO are pivotally attached to the grapples 5. T his is carried-out by yproviding a swivel block 87 which connectsv each of said blocks and grapples by transverse pivot joints, by which arrangement saidfblocks automatically align themselves in` conformitywith the vehicle wheel positions,` and independently with the alignment of said block. This arrangement greatly adds to the freedom of operation of they apparatus. as a who-le.

Y While the description and drawing illustrates in a general way, certain instrumentalities which may be employed in carrying the invention into effect, it is levident that 'many modifications may be made in the various details, without departing from the scope ofthe appended claims', fit being understood that the invention is not 'restricted to the particular forms herein described.

' I claim as Vmy invention:

- l. In a hoisting device a cablestructure; a wheel engaging-grapple cooperating with said cable-and a brace member pivotally mounted'on the said grapple and adapted to be'swung downwardly into engagement with the side face of the wheel being lifted to hold the upper, portion of the kgrapple away from said wheel or upwardly'out of engagement with the side face of the wheel.

2. In a'hoisting device for vehicles, a cable structure, a grapple cooperating with said cable structure and adapted to engage parts of a vehicle, ka brace member 'pivoted to said grapple and adapted to be swung downwardly into engagement with the side face of the parts of the vehicle engaged by said grapple, means for ynormally limiting the downward movement of said grapple, and a yieldable element incorporated inthe movement limiting means adapted to yield and permit the grapple to be engaged with parts ofthevehicle and the brace member Vto be movedy into or out of operative position.

3.., In a hoisting device for vehicles, a cable structure including a block and sheave, said cable being reeved around said sheave, a

grapple pivoted to said block and adapted to engage parts of said vehicle, means connected to said block for limiting the Anormal descent normal length of said chain when desired.

5z In a hoisting device for vehicles, a grapple for engaging parts of the vehicle, a block pivoted to said grapple, runs of av cable eX- ten'ding around said block, a chain attached to said block between the cable runs, and a spring interposed in the length of said chain, whereby said grapple may be additionally lowered beyondthe normal length of said chain when desired.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on thisthe 15thr day of August,

LOUIS J. MCMILLIN. 

